From a young age, we’re taught not to talk to strangers; but a study recently conducted by YouGov shows that Brits actually prefer to be sociable than be muted in most scenarios. Indeed, 8 in 10 of us would choose to talk to our neighbours whilst seeing them out and about, and 7 in 10 of Brits want to get their chins wagging with tradespeople entering their homes. Outside of our home comforts, two thirds of us would want to exchange chatter with checkout assistants, and hairdressers also prove desirable people to have a bit of a gossip with.
However, we don’t want to chat to everyone. Unsurprisingly, over half of us would actively choose not to talk to other people on public transport (which creeps up to two thirds for Londoners). Poor dentists also slot into this list of avoiders; half of us would not want to talk to them during appointments.
A key theme that emerged from this study reveals that those aged 18-34 are particularly reluctant to make small talk with those they’re unfamiliar with, with large generational gaps when it comes to chatting to neighbours and hairdressers.
That aside, we might actually be more sociable as a nation than previously thought. Why not give it a go when you pop out for a coffee or when grabbing lunch? You may still want to keep your lips sealed on the tube or bus, though…